Multi-station plumbing fixture and outlet manifold therefor



Feb. 26, 1963 G. l. DOTY ETAL MULTI-STATION PLUMBING FIXTURE AND OUTLETMANIFOLD THEREF'OR Filed Dec. '30. 1958 um da 90a.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORJ 650265 J, 007V JAMAS E NELso/v /cwneo /VZ EGEFeb. 26, 1963 G. 1. Dow Em. 3,078,476

MULTI-STATION PLUMBING FIXTURE AND OUTLET MANIFOLD THEREFOR Filed Deo.30, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS GEOEGE j D071/ JAP/w55 E Nasa/v,Q/c//Aeo M. E65

hired States atentjO 3,378,476 MULTI-STATION PLUMBNG FlXTURE AND OUTLETMANEFLD THEREFOR George I. Doty, La Canada, Jam-es l". Nelson, WoodlandHills, and Richard M. Ego, Burbank, Calif., assignors to LoganManufacturing Company, Glendale, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaFiled Dec. Sil, 1953, Ser. No. 783,732 8 Claims. (Cl. 4--192) Thisinvention deals generally with plumbing fixtures, and more particularlywith a prefabricated, multi-station plumbing fixture.

The present invention provides a prefabricated, multistation plumbingfixture equipped with a horizontally extending housing to be mounted atopposite ends on a pair of stationary building supports in such a way asto render both sides of the housing accessible. Each side of thishousing mounts one or more groups of fittings, each 4forming a sta-tionof the multi-station fixture. The present fixture has certain uniquefeatures of design and construction which provide the latter with asimple and inexpensive open type construction. One ofthe foremost ofthese features resides in a novel outlet manifold through which eachstation of the fixture is supplied with hot and cold water from main hotand cold water headers in the fixture housing.

With the foregoing brief preliminary discussion in mind, a broad objectof the present invention may be stated as being the provision of animproved prefabricated, multi-station plumbing fixture of the characterdescribed.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a prefabricated,multi-station plumbing fixture of the character described whichpossesses certain unique features of construction and design that resultin a relatively simple and inexpensive open type fixture.

Another object of the invention is -to provide a prefabricated,multi-station plumbing fixture of the character described in which eachstation of the fixture is supplied with water through a novel ou-tletmanifold.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel outlet manifoldfor a multi-station plumbing fixture of the character described, whichmanifold is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, anddesigned in such a way as to permit connection of the outlet fittings ofeach station of the fixture to the main water headers of the fixturewith maximum simplicity and minimum time consumption and cost.

Yet a [further object of the inventionis to provide a.

multi-station plumbing fixture of the character described which issimple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise especial-lywell suited to i-ts intended purpose.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will becomereadily apparent as the description proceeds.

Briefly, the objects of t-he invention are attained by providing aplumbing fixture in which 4the housing has opposite side panels betweenwhich the hot and cold water header pipes are located one over theother. Within the housing, at each sta-tion of the fixture, and locatedbetween the respective side panel of the housing and the header pipes isan outlet manifold of the invention.

Each manifold comprises a body, which may be cast or otherwise made,having at one side concave seats for seating against the pipes and atthe other side surfaces for seating against the respective side panel.These manifolds are brazed or otherwise joined to the pipes about thepipe seats of the respective manifolds and are attached to the sidepanels of the housing. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention,the manifolds are also attached to top and bottom panels of the housing.The pipes are thereby supported in the housing by the supply manifolds.

Extending through each manifold are hot and cold water passages whichopen at one end through a hot water pipe seat and a cold water pipeseat, respectively, to the hot and cold water pipes, respectively, ofthe manifold and at their other ends through the opposite side of thebody. The control valve means for each station are mounted on therespective side panel and have hot and cold water inlets connected withthe latter ends, rcspectively, of the water passages in the adjacentmanifold.

One unique feature of the invention resides in the a1'- rangement of theWater passages in the outlet manifolds, whereby holes may be drilled inthe pipes, to communicate the Water passages in each manifold with thewater passages in the pipes, respectively, after the manifolds have beenjoined to the pipes. Another unique feature of the invention resides inthe manner in which the manifolds seat against the pipes and are held inposition on the pipes prior to brazing. Various other unique features ofthe invention will become evident as .the description proceeds.

The illustrative embodimen-t of the invention comprises a multi-stationshower fixture in which the housing also contains a liquid soap supplyor header pipe and the housing si-de panels also mount soap dispenserslat the several stations of the fixture. The shower heads of the fixtureare mounted on an upper horizon-tal frame meniber which is verticallyspaced above the fixture housing proper to provide the fixture with anopen type construction which requires a minimum amount of material andmay be made at minimum cost.

' A better understanding of the invention may be had from the followingdetailed description thereof taken in connection with the annexeddrawings, wherein:

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the outlet manifold which i is used inthefixture; and

FIG. 6 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 6 in FIG. 5.

The illustrated multi-station shower fixture 20 is prefabricated andequipped with a supporting structure 22 including an upper horizontalframe member 24 and a lower hollow rectangular housing 26. Frame member24 and housing 26 are vertically spaced, as shown, so as to provide thestructure 22 with an open construction which requires a minimum amountof material in its fabrication and may be made at minimum cost.

Each side of the housing 26 is provided with several shower stations 28(only one shown on each side). Each shower station, in turn, comprises awater outlet assembly 30 which is made up of a group of fittings to bepresently described and receives water from a vpair of hot and coldwater header pipes 32 and 34 Ilocated within and extending lengthwise ofthe housing 26. Located between each pair of adjacent shower stations 28is a' liquid soap dispenser 36. The several soap dispensers on the unit20 are supplied with liquid soap through a soap header pipe 38 which isalso located within and extends lengthwise of the housing 26.

The housing 25 comprises a hollow sheet metal struc-` ture` made -fromrelatively heavy. 'gauge stainless steel,VA

for example. As shown in FlGS. 3 and 4, the housing 26 is generallyrectangular in transverse cross-section and comprises a pair ofrelatively narrow, normally vertical side walls or panels 40 and 42. Theupper and lower sides of the housing 26 are formed by a pair of channels4d and 46, the auges of which are secured to the upper and lower edgesof the side panels d@ and d2, by screws 48 to form a unitary structure.

Extending between and rigidly fixed to the left-hand ends of the framemember 24 and housing 26, as the fixture 26 is viewed in FiG. 1, is ahollow, normally vertical frame part Si). The water headers 32 and 34and the soap header 38 extend beyond the left end of the housing 26 intothe vertical frame part 5h and then upwardly through the latter. Theupper ends of the headers are open and exposed through an opening in theupper end of the vertical frame part 50 for connection to the water andsoap supply piping in the building in which the fixture is installed.

One manner of installing the fixture 2Q in a building is by attachingthe vertical frame part 56 to a building wall 52, in any convenientmanner, and attaching the right hand ends of the frame member 24 andhousing 26 in any suitable manner to a vertical building column 54. Thefixture, when installed, thus extends outwardly from and generallyperpendicular to the wall 52 so as to permit access to the showerstations 28 on both sides of the fixture.

The outlet assembly 30 of each shower station 28 comprises a shower head56 which is mounted on the framemember 24. Shower head 56 is connectedthrough a vertical riser 58 to a hot and cold water valve fitting 60,mounted in the manner to be presently described, on a side panel of thehousing 26. Each outlet assembly 30 is completed by an outlet manifold62 located within the housing 26. As will now be described, the manifold62 is of unique `design and affords a simple and inexpensive means forconnectiny each outlet assembly 30 to the hot and cold water headers 32and 34.

Referring to FIGS. 2-5, manifold 62 will be seen to comprise arelatively flat, generally rectangular body 64 which may be, forexample, a single integral casting. This body includes a pair ofapproximately parallel and generally fiat bars 66 and 68 which arebridged, adjacent their ends, by cross bars 70 and 71. Projecting fromopposite sides of the bars 66 and 68, in alignment with cross bar '71,are a pair of extensions 72 havingY cylindrical bosses 74 on theirforward sides, as the manifold is viewed in FIG. 5.

These bosses extend normal to the plane of the manifold body 64 and havecentral threaded holes 76.l

Projecting from the outer edges of the bars 66 and 68 are lugs '73.These lugs have holes St) extending therethrough also normal to theplane of the body 64. The opposite ends of the bars 66 and 68 are groundoff flat to provide flat, seating faces S2 and 83 on the upper and lowerends of the manifold body 64.

Projecting from opposite sides of the manifold body,

approximately at the intersections of the center lines of the bars 66and 68 and the cross bars 76 and 71, are pairs of coaxial cylindricalbosses 84a, 84b through 90a, 90b. Those of the latter bosses which bearthe suflix a are located on the forward side of the manifold body as thelatter is viewed in FIG. 5, while those bossesidentied by the numeralsbearing the suffix b are located on the rear side of the manifold body.The end faces of the forward bosses Sita through 98a are approximatelycoplanar with or spaced slightly to the rear of the end faces 92 of thelugs '74, as may be best observed in FIG. 2.

The rear set of bosses Sib through tlb have concave cylindrically curvedend faces corresponding approximately in curvature to the outer surfacesof the Water headers 32 and 34. As will shortly be seen, the concaveend-faeesofthe rearA set of-bossesdbthrough tibpro:

vide concave seats on the manifold body, centered on two parallel axesspaced from one side of the body, for engaging against the outersurfaces of the hot and cold water headers.

To this end, it will be observed in the drawings that the concave endfaces on the two upper bosses 8411 and 96h and the concave end faces onthe two lower bosses 86h and 88h have common, approximately parallelcenter lines of curvature which extend transversely of the bars 66 and68 of the manifold body.

Extending axially through the respective pairs of coaxial bosses 84a,glib through 96a, 90b are water passages or bores 94 through 16d. Thesebores open at one end through the forward ends of the forward bosses andat their other ends thro-ugh the concave end faces on the rear bosses Sbthrough gdb. The bores 94 and 96, extending through the two pairs ofcoaxial bosses 84a, 8d!) and 86a, 86h are in communication via a branchpassage 102 within the left hand bar 66.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, it will be observed that the manifold body64 .at each shower station 28 is located Within the housing 26 anddisposed in a normally vertical plane between and paralleling the planeof the hot and cold water headers 32 and 34. As previously mentioned,and as may be readily observed in FIGS. 3 and 4, the concave end faceson the upper rear bosses 84b and 90b seat against the outer surface ofthe hot water header pipe 32. Similarly, the concave end faces on thelower rear bosses Sb and 88h seat against the outer surface of the coldwater header pipe 34. The rear bosses are then brazed or otherwisejoined to their respective headers as indicated at 104, to providewater-tight seals between the bosses and headers.

The vertical spacing between the planes of the upper and lower seatingfaces 82 and 83 on the manifold body 6 4 is such that when the latter isin position in the housing 26, these seating faces seat -against thewebs of the upper and lower channels 44 and 46 of the housing, as shownin the drawings. The manifoldl body is then secured to the housing byscrews 106 which pass through the webs of the channels and are threadedin the upper and lower ends of the manifold body.

It will be observed that the shower stations on one side of the fixture20 are exactly opposite the shower stations on the opposite side of thexture. Thus, in the completed fixture, the manifolds 62 of the opposingshower stations will be located directly opposite one another. Theseopposing manifolds are held together, so as to clamp the hot and coldwater headers 32 and 34 therebetween, by bolts 10S which pass throughthe apert'ured lugs 78 on the manifold bodies.

As previously mentioned and as is readily apparent from the drawings,the manifolds 62 serve to support the hot and cold water headers 32 and34 in the housing 26. The opposing manifolds are clamped together bybolts 108 in the manner just mentioned, primarily to permit properpositioning of the manifolds and to then hold the manifold bodies andwater headers in position for brazing of the manifold bodies to theheaders during fabrication of the unit.

The manifolds 62 serve also as a `connection between the outletassemblies 30 of the several shower stations and the hot and cold waterheaders. To this end, each valveV fitting 60 has a pair of hot and coldwater inlet extensions 110 and 112, respectively. These extensionsproject through openings in the side panels 40 and 42 of the housing 26and are threaded into the lower bores 96 and 98 in the adjacent manifoldbodies 64. The wall of the cold water header 34 has an opening 116aligned with the inner end of the bore 98i11each of the manifold bodies64. Similarly, the hot water header 32 has an opening 118 aligned withthe inner end of the bore 9'4 in each of the manifold bodies. The outerend of the latter bore on each manifold body 1s closed by a plug 120.From this description, itv will bel-seen that hot water mayow from thehot water header 32 to each shower station 28 through the adjacentopening 118 in the hot water header, and thence through Ibore 94,passage 102, and bore 96 in the adjacent manifold body to the hot waterside of the valve fitting 60 of the station. Similarly, cold water maylio-w from the cold water header 34 to each shower station through theadjacent opening 116 in the wall of the cold Water header, and bore 98in the adjacent manifold body to the cold water side :of the valvefitting 60 of the station. When the valves of a given station are open,hot and cold water flows upwardly through the passage in the riser S8 tothe adjacent shower head 56 from whence it issues through the dischargeopening 56 of the shower head.

When fabricating the fixture 20, the several pairs of opposing manifoldbodies 64 are first brazed to the hot and cold water headers 32 and 34in the manner already mentioned. The headers are then drilled to providethe openings 116 and 113 by inserting drills through the bores 94 and 98in each manifold body. The outer end of the bore 94 in each body is thenclosed by a seal or plug 120. Finally, the housing 26 is assembled byattaching the lower and upper channels 44 and 46 to the several manifoldbodies by the screws 106 and -then attaching the side panels 4t) and 42to the flanges of the channels by the screws 48.

After the housing has thus been assembled about the headers andmanifolds, the inlet extensions 110 and 112 of each valve fitting 69 arethreaded into the bores 96 and 98 of the respective manifold bodies. Thevalve fittings are secured to the housing by means of screws 122 whichextend through apertured flanges on the respective valve fittings andthe side panels 46 or 42 of the housing, and are threaded into the lugs74 on the adjacent manifold body. The end faces 92 of these lugs provideseating faces which seat against the inner surface of the side panels 40and 42 of the housing, as shown in FIG. 2.

While the fixture has been illustrated as being supplied with Water andliquid soap through exposed piping, it will be apparent that the fixturemay, as well, be supplied through concealed piping. In this case, theframe part 5f) and the vertical headers therein may be omitted and theleft hand ends of the frame member 24 and housing 26 attached directlyto the Wall.

It will be apparent, therefore, that there has been described andillustrated a multi-station shower fixture and an outlet manifoldtherefor which are fully capable of attaining the several objects andadvantages preliminarily set forth.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosedfor illustrative purposes, it will be apparent that numerousmodifications in the design and arrangement of parts of the inventionare possible within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An outlet manifold for a plumbing fixture including a pair ofhorizontal, vertically spaced pipes extending through a hollow housinghaving a vertical front panel, said manifold comprising a body having atone side concave, cylindrically curved seat means for engaging againstthe outside of said pipes the opposite side of said body having seatingfaces in a common plane for seating against said front panel, therebeing bores opening through said seating faces to receive mountingscrews for attaching said body to said front panel, and there beingwater passage means through sad body opening at one end through saidseat means and at the other end through said opposite side of said body.

2. An outlet manifold for a plumbing fixture including a pair ofhorizontal, vertically spaced pipes extending through a hollow,rectangular housing having a vertical front panel and horizontal top andbottom panels, said manifold comprising a body having at one sideconcave, cylindrically curved seat means for engaging against theoutside of said pipes, the opposite side of the body having seatingfaces in a common plane for seating against said front panel, said bodyhaving normally upper and lower 6 seating faces for seating against saidupper and lower panels, respectively, there being bores opening throughsaid faces to receive mounting screws for attaching the body to saidpanels, and there being water passage means in the body opening throughsaid seat means and said opposite side of the body.

3. A plumbing fixture comprising a hollow, rectangular housing havinghorizontal upper and lower panels and a vertical side panel, a pair ofhorizontal, vertically spaced hot and cold water header pipes extendinglongitudinally through said housing, an outlet manifold in said housingbetween said pipes and side panel comprising a body including fourcircular horizontal bosses at the side of the body facing said pipes,means securing said housing to said manifold, one pair of said bosseshaving their axes located in the horizontal plane of one pipe andconcave, cylindrically curved end faces which seat against the wall ofsaid one pipe, the other pair of said bosses having their axes locatedin the horizontal plane of the other pipe and concave, cylindricallycurved end faces which seat against the wall of said other pipe, meanssecuring said bosses to their adjacent pipes, said body having a firstrelatively straight water passage extending axially through a boss ofone of said pairs and opening at one end through the, concave face ofthe respective boss and at the other end through the opposite side ofthe body, and second relatively straight water passages extendingthrough said body on the axes, respectively, of the bosses of the otherpair and opening at one end through said opposite side of the body, oneof said second passages opening at its other end through the concaveface of its respective boss, said one pipe having a wall openingcommunicating with said first passage and the other pipe having a wallopening communicating with said one second passage, means sealing saidother end of the first passage, there being a branch passagecommunicating the other second passage with said first passage, andvalve means mounted on said side panel having hot and cold Water inletscommunicating with said one end of said second passages, respectively.

4. In a plumbing fixture, the combination of two parallel pipes, a pairof outlet manifolds located at opposite sides of the plane of saidpipes, each fitting comprising a body having at one side concave,cylindrically curved seats engaging against the pipes, respectively,means connecting said bodies for urging the latter together whereby toclamp the bodies to said pipes, each body having a first water passageopening through one concave seat opposite one pipe and through theopposite side of the respective body and a second water passage openingthrough another concave seat opposite the other pipe and through saidopposite side of the respective body, and said pipes having wallopenings communicating with the adjacent passages.

5. An outlet manifold for a plumbing fixture, comprising a body havingat one side two concave, generally cylindrical curved pipe seats, therebeing a first relatively straight water passage opening at one endthrough one of said seats and at the other end through the opposite sideof the body and a second relatively straight water passage opening atone end through the other seat and at the other end through saidopposite side of the body, a seal for closing said other endy of saidfirst passage, and there being a branch water passage in the bodycommunicating at one end with said first passage and opening at itsother end through said opposite side of the body at a distance from saidother end of said second passage.

6. An outlet manifold for a plumbing fixture, comprising a body havingat one side two concave, generally cylindrically curved pipe seatscentered onapproximately parallel axes of curvature, said body having afirst relatively straight water passage opening at one end through oneof said seats and at the other end through the opposite side of thebody, said body having a second relatively straight water passageopening at one end through the entregara? other seat and at the otherend through said opposit'e' side of the body, and a seal for closingsaid other end of the first passage, there being a branch-passage inthel body communicating at one end with said first passage and openingat its other end through said opposite s1de of the body parallel to saidother end of said second passage, said other ends of the branch passageand said second passage beingapproxirnately parallel and located in acommon plane parallel to they axis of curvature of' said other seat.

7. An outlet manifold for a plumbing fixture, cornprising a bodyincluding at one side four parallel cylindrical bosses arranged at thecorners of a rectangle,l one pair of said bosses having concave,generally cyliudrically curved pipe seats centered on a first commonaxis, the other pair of bosses havingl concave, generaliy cylindricallycurved pipe seats centered on a second common axis parallel to said irstaxis, said body having water passages extending axially through saidbosses and opening at one end through the pipe seats of the respective2) bosses and at the other end through the other side of the body, therebeing a branch passage in the body communicating the water passagethrough a boss of one of said pairs and the Water-passage through a bossof the other of said pairs, and a seal for closing said other end of oneof said last two mentioned passages.V

8. An outlet manifold for a plumbing fixture, cornprising a body havingat one side two laterally offset concave, generally cylindrically curvedpipe seats with spaced, approximately parallel axes of curvature, thereYReferences Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 900,485Cook Oct. 6, 1908 2,239,651 McMurray et al Apr` 22, 1941 2,512,009 BoberJune 20, 1950 2,672,152 Mustee Mar. 16, 1954 2,740,130 Stone ---c Apr.3, 1956

1. AN OUTLET MANIFOLD FOR A PLUMBING FIXTURE INCLUDING A PAIR OFHORIZONTAL, VERTICALLY SPACED PIPES EXTENDING THROUGH A HOLLOW HOUSINGHAVING A VERTICAL FRONT PANEL, SAID MANIFOLD COMPRISING A BODY HAVING ATONE SIDE CONCAVE, CYLINDRICALLY CURVED SEAT MEANS FOR ENGAGING AGAINSTTHE OUTSIDE OF SAID PIPES THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID BODY HAVING SEATINGFACES IN A COMMON PLANE FOR SEATING AGAINST SAID FRONT PANEL, THEREBEING BORES OPENING THROUGH SAID SEATING FACES TO RECEIVE MOUNTINGSCREWS FOR ATTACHING SAID BODY TO SAID FRONT PANEL, AND THERE BEINGWATER PASSAGE MEANS THROUGH SAID BODY OPENING AT ONE END THROUGH SAIDSEAT MEANS AND AT THE OTHER END THROUGH SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID BODY.